


Sharp Edges (Have Consequences)

by martianwahtney



Series: Tony Stark Bingo 2018 [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Helpful Bucky Barnes, M/M, Protective Bucky Barnes, Questionable Decision Making Process, Square Fill: Questionable Decision Making Process, Tony Stark Bingo 2018, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark stares at space, hows that for illiteration, listen Tony has some issues and Bucky just wants to help, thanks for coming to my ted talk, why? bc tony is an idiot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 16:16:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15710781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/martianwahtney/pseuds/martianwahtney
Summary: Tony Stark fears space, but still he stares up at the night sky for nearly an hour each night. Bucky sits with him and sometimes they talk.





	Sharp Edges (Have Consequences)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wakandan_wardog](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wakandan_wardog/gifts).



“I tried to tell him it was stupid, but sometimes he doesn’t listen to me,” Rhodes said quietly.  
  
“I don’t know if you can talk him out of it, but could you make sure he’s not alone out there?”  
  
“Yea, I can do that,” Bucky said.  
  
“Thanks,”  
  
The line went dead before Bucky could say anything else.

  
  


That night Bucky ventured out to the balcony in search of the resident genius. He found Tony sitting on the ground with his knees tucked up to his chest, staring aimlessly into the night. Bucky slowly sat down next to Tony. Tony was staring up at the night sky, pale and shaking.  
  
“Tony?”  
  
But Tony didn’t say anything. Bucky nodded and looked up at the stars, trying to see what had captivated Tony. But all he saw was space.  
  
Tony’s hand suddenly gripped onto Bucky’s. Bucky looked over at Tony. He was still pale, and still shaking. He was afraid of something. Bucky looked up again, but still he saw only stars.

  
  


Night after night Bucky would join Tony outside to look at the stars. Sometimes Tony seemed fine, his grip on Bucky’s hand was lax. Other times he seemed to be on the constant verge of a panic attack.

  
  


“I thought I’d get used to it,” Tony said quietly.  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“Space,” Tony whispered. His dark eyes staring aimlessly into the abyss above them.  
  
“If I stare at them long enough… I’ll get better,”  
  
“You’re not makin’ any sense, doll,”  
  
“I can cure this,”  
  
Bucky wanted to stare at Tony till he figured out what on earth the genius meant. Cure what?  
  
He waited for Tony to say anything more but Tony stayed silent. Bucky sat in silence with him, tracing out constellations with his eyes.

  
  


“Why the night sky?” Bucky asked the second Rhodes answered.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Why does he stare at the stars? Ev’ry night,”  
  
There was a moment of silence from the other end of the phone.  
  
“New York,” Rhodes said at last.  
  
“He doesn’t talk about it. But when he flew up into that portal… something happened,”  
  
“He came back different,” Rhodes said.  
  
Bucky didn’t know how to respond to that.  
  
“Has he said anything to you?”  
  
“Just that he’s tryin’ to get used to space. Tryin’ to cure somethin’,”

  
  


“Going out again?” Steve asked as Bucky made a poor attempt to slip past the rest of the Avengers in the living room.  
“Gonna sit with Tony,”  
  
“Tony’s out there?” Sam asked.  
  
“You’re tellin’ me you didn’ know your teammate vanishes every night?” Bucky asked incredulously.  
  
“Tony’s always been eccentric,” Steve said with a shrug.  
  
“I don’ know what he’s doin’ out there, but I think he’s hurtin’ and I think it’s our job to help him,” Bucky said carefully.  
  
“What?”  
  
Bucky ignored the question and headed out to the balcony to sit with Tony. He knew something was different the moment he saw Tony. As he got closer he figured out what it was, Tony was crying.  
  
“Doll,” Bucky whispered.  
  
“You ain’t gotta do this,”  
  
“I have to do this. I fix broken things, I-”  
  
“ _Tony,_ ”  
  
Tony blinked and focused on Bucky.  
  
“I need you to listen to me,”  
  
He reached out to cup Tony’s face, thumb brushing over his cheek, trying to dispel the tears. The pieces all started to click into place. Staring at the night sky, trying to ‘cure’ something, to ‘fix’ himself.  
  
“You ain’t broken. What you pro’lly got is a severe case of PTSD an’ no one is gonna think lesser of you for that,”  
  
“But-”  
  
“This ain’t good for you, doll,”  
  
“I don’t know what else to do,” Tony confessed, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks.  
  
“That’s ok too. But you gotta whole team in there dealin’ with PTSD. Plus that smug bird bastard is supposed’ta be good at listenin’ to people and helpin’ them work through stuff,”  
  
“Does Sam know you call him that?” Tony asked with a watery smile.  
  
“What he doesn’ know won’ hurt him,”  
  
“Why don’ we go inside, sweetheart, I think it’s movie night,”  
  
Tony followed him into the Tower, their fingers intertwined.

  
  


Bucky had hoped that after their talk Tony wouldn’t punish himself by going outside and staring at the stars. He wasn’t surprised or disappointed to find he was wrong.  
  
He walked onto the balcony and stared at Tony for a moment, his forearms were braced against the railing as he stared at the night sky. Bucky didn’t think he’d ever seen anything so beautiful.  
  
“Doll why ya doin’ this?”  
  
“Because something is coming. I gotta get used to space,”  
  
“Tony-”  
  
“You know when I first tested Iron Man I went straight for the moon? I swear the stars were calling me,”  
  
“You still don’t gotta do this,”  
  
“It’s not always bad,”  
  
Bucky thought of every time Tony looked like he was on the verge of getting sick, the way his chest heaved with panicked breath,  
  
“Sometimes if I concentrate enough on how I felt during that first flight it’s not so bad. I can pretend to still love the stars before… he…-”  
  
“He?”  
  
“Whoever was really behind the Invasion. He’s been in my head for five years,” Tony whispered.  
  
“I tried mentioning it once, probably didn’t do a very good job, and I ended up making a murderbot- by accident,” Tony said before James could say anything.  
  
“Have you tried mentionin’ it since?”  
  
“They don’t wanna listen to me, Barnes, believe me,”  
  
“Have you tried?” Bucky pressed.  
  
Tony shook his head.  
  
“Maybe you shoul’ try. I’m not sayin’ now, but one day,” Bucky said.  
  
“For now, why don’ we go inside?”  
  
Bucky offered out his metal hand. Tony slowly reached out and took it.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Birthday Doll!!!  
> [here](http://www.anthonystarhk.tumblr.com/)


End file.
